Friday, December 21, 2012

19th December 2012:
Phones 4u can confirm that it will range BlackBerry® 10 when it launches in the UK in early 2013.

Scott Hooton, Phones 4u Chief Commercial Officer comments: “With our longstanding
success
at putting BlackBerry® smartphones into the hands of the youth market,
and historically selling more BlackBerry devices per store than any
other retailer
in Europe, we’re really excited about today’s announcement. A
significant proportion of Phones 4u customers returning to our stores in
Q1 next year will be BlackBerry customers looking to upgrade, and we’re
thrilled that we’ll be able to offer our upgrade
and new customers BlackBerry 10 devices. We believe that BlackBerry 10
is going to exceed all expectations and strengthen the brand’s position
at the forefront of mobile technology.”

Pricing and availability for the BlackBerry 10 range will be revealed at a later date.

·Ongoing investment to increase network density in launch cities to further increase availability of 4G for users across metropolitan areas

·EE is turbo-charging 3G, with speeds already increased across 40% of the EE network using DC-HSPA – the fastest available 3G technology

December 13, 2012 – EE, the UK's most advanced digital communications company, today announced that 4G will be switched on in a further 17 towns and cities across the country by March 2013. As well as investing in bringing superfast mobile to new areas around the UK, network density is being rapidly increased in existing 4G launch cities to continue to improve the speed and reach of the UK's first 4G network.

In the first three months of 2013, 4G will be launched in Bradford, Chelmsford, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Leicester, Luton, Newport, Reading, Rotherham, St Albans, Sunderland, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, Watford, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, bringing 4G coverage to approximately four million more people across the UK. Last week, 4G was switched on in Derby, Newcastle and Nottingham; Belfast, Hull, Maidenhead and Slough will be switched on before the end of 2012. This brings the total of 4G launches in 2012 to 18, ahead of the schedule of 16.

Councillor Rory Palmer, Deputy City Mayor of Leicester, which is due to be switched on in early 2013, said: "I am delighted that the 4G network will be going live in Leicester in early 2013. EE clearly recognises that Leicester is a city that will benefit significantly from 4G mobile coverage - superfast mobile internet will have real benefits for our residents, homes and businesses across the city."

Superfast 4G mobile is approximately five times faster than 3G. 4G mobile customers will be able to access the web on the go in an instant, download large email attachments quicker than ever, watch live TV on mobiles without buffering, make high quality video calls on the move and play live multiplayer games on the go. EE customers have access to a wide range of mobile handsets, tablets and mobile Wi-Fi devices, including iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE, iPad mini, and Huawei Mobile Wi-Fi.

Olaf Swantee, Chief Executive Officer, EE, said:

"By the end of the first quarter of 2013, 4G will be available in 35 towns and cities across the UK, making superfast mobile accessible to thousands more customers and businesses every day. We're delighted with the progress of the 4G rollout – we are improving the network every day, delivering superfast mobile to more and more people right across metropolitan areas, whether they're using their devices outdoors or in their homes and offices. This has struck a chord with businesses in particular, with great demand being seen. We're delighted to already be powering large, medium and small businesses with 4G."

Increasing network density

Through ongoing investment in the 4G network, EE is not only bringing superfast speeds to more parts of the UK, but also continuing to make 4G even more widely available across metropolitan areas. Users will find they have access to 4G wherever they travel around their city, and during their commutes to work. This continued investment is enabling businesses and consumers to have the full, superfast 4G experience of web, social media, email and multi-media wherever they are.

Network density* is being increased on a daily basis by enabling 4G on an increasing number of masts. Engineering work continues in each area until the 4G coverage matches that of the EE 2G and 3G network. As well as increasing capacity to meet the demand from thousands of new customers signing up to 4GEE, this ensures that 4G is available throughout an entire area with strong voice and data service available indoors.

The EE network's mobile backhaul – the part of the network that connects each mast into the core network servers – is also being updated to support superfast speeds. 3G and 4G masts across the UK are being connected with Gigabit Ethernet capacity to deliver the highest standard of mobile backhaul, ensuring a great quality of experience, high speed and low latency, which is vital for applications such as multiplayer mobile gaming, and streaming of multimedia content.

Independent network testing

The high performance of the EE 3G and 4G networks, both indoor and outdoor, was proven by independent testing in Manchester city centre in November by independent mobile performance measurement company RootMetrics:

EE averaged 17.0Mbps download speed on 4G

The average download speed indoors was 9.7Mbps; average upload speed indoors was 5.1Mbps

The average download speed, on both 3G and 4G, across the Manchester area was 7.6Mbps; average upload speed was 3.9Mbps – more than twice as fast as the next fastest network

Continued investment in 3G, introducing DC-HSPA

As well as investing in rolling out a broader, denser 4G network, EE is significantly increasing speeds on its 3G network by upgrading to DC-HSPA. By the end of 2012, this variant of 3G – the fastest available in the UK – will be live on 40% of the EE network, and accessible for EE, Orange and T-Mobile customers with a compatible handset.

The top 4G LTE devices also support DC-HSPA, offering the best of both networks. HSPA+ is supported by a broad range of smartphones, tablets and dongles, and is available across the EE network.

*Network density describes the volume of masts in a given area, constantly being increased by EE with the addition of new masts in launch cities.

4GEE is available in 14 UK towns and cities today – Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Southampton. Belfast, Hull, Maidenhead and Slough will be switched on by the end of the year. EE is aiming for 98% of the UK population to be covered by the end of 2014.

For
the second month in a row it is no surprise that Apple’s iPhone 5 is on
top of the best seller list, says Ulf Sandberg MD at Krusell. Supply of
hard ware has been a problem for the stores, despite of the increased
demand week over week. Until Christmas I think we can expect that Apple
stays on top of the tree, he ends.

The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell, releases its Top 10-list for November
2012. The list is based on the number of pieces of custom made mobile-
and smartphone cases ordered from Krusell during October 2012.Krusell’s
list is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on
six continents and in more than 70 countries around the globe.

Krusell
Group with 150 million SEK in turnover, an annual production of over 3
million cases, and more than 500 employees is a Swedish company
exporting high-end cases around the world. After more than 20 years in
the mobile phone industry, Krusell is established as one of the leading
brands in its niche. Besides cases for smart phones, Krusell also
produces cases for, laptops and Tablets. Moreover, Krusell are a
subcontractor to Sony, Samsung, Sanyo, Honda, Toyota and LG. Krusell
also market and distribute the brand Motorheadphones. The headquarters
of Krusell are located in Mölndal, Sweden.For information about Krusell, please visit www.krusell.se

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Five top spam texts for 2012 revealed in AdaptiveMobile’s Ongoing Threat Analysis

London, 18 October, 2012 – AdaptiveMobile, the world leader in mobile security, today announces five SMS spam campaigns that are plaguing UK
mobile phone users in 2012. Text messages offering thousands of pounds
to consumers because of mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance scored the
highest on AdaptiveMobile’s Ongoing Threat Analysis (OTA) which rates
the impact of spam text messages by sector. The report highlights the
need for operators to continue to focus on keeping the SMS channel clean
to protect users from unwanted messages.

“SMS
is one of the most established and popular mobile communication
channels and is consequently more trusted,” says Ciaran Bradley, VP of
Handset Security, AdaptiveMobile. “Scammers and spammers are very quick
to respond to current events such as PPI mis-selling or the latest
celebrity scandal and create scams around them. For this reason, it is
very important that mobile operators are aware of the threats that their
customers are under threat from.”

Examples of the most common SMS scams in 2012:

Note: there are frequent variations in the text and numbers used by spammers, in order to avoid detection.

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI)

IMPORTANT
- You could be entitled up to £3,160 in compensation from mis-sold PPI
on a credit card or loan. Please reply PPI for info or STOP to opt out.

Quick Loans

A [redacted] loan for £950 is approved for you if you receive this SMS. 1 min verification & cash in 1 hr at www.[redacted].co.uk to opt out reply stop

Accident compensation

You
have still not claimed the compensation you are due for the accident
you had. To start the process please reply YES. To opt out text STOP

Debt forgiveness

Due
to a new legislation, those struggling with debt can now apply to have
it written off. For more information text the word INFO or to opt out
text STOP

Pension reviews

Our
records indicate your Pension is under performing to see higher growth
and up to 25% cash release reply PENSION for a free review. To opt out
reply STOP

People in the UK
are also being subjected to spam advertising adult content and fake
celebrity sex tapes. Whilst not as prevalent as the above spam these can
be more disturbing to due to the explicit content of the texts,
particularly if received by minors.

This
year’s results differ from last year when spam offering compensation
for accidents was most prevalent (40%), followed by messages promising
to help with debt (20%) and offering loans (17%). With 78% of all UK
mobile users – 3.6bn people – being active SMS users, the reach of SMS
spam is extremely high. Although SMS spam is much less common than email
spam, it is also a far more trusted channel. Consequently, many users
place a great deal more trust in SMS than email, IM or twitter.

“Many
of these spam messages may be from middlemen and marketing companies –
the equivalent of cold callers – but others can be started by
fraudsters,” continues Bradley. “The most convincing scams are rooted in
truth and as we all know, there is greater awareness of the
compensation being paid out by the leading banks for the mis-selling of
PPI. Consumers should be very wary of unknown numbers, avoid clicking on
links in unsolicited messages and remember that anything which seems
too good to be true usually is. Whilst consumers are usually quite
savvy, many can simply be frustrated by receiving these texts and may
feel powerless to prevent them. Consequently, operators should take
steps to filter out these annoyances to make sure that they do not even
reach the consumer in question.”

EE TO LAUNCH SUPERFAST SPEEDS, EXCITING NEW SERVICES, SIMPLE PRICING & EXPERT SUPPORT FOR CONSUMERS & BUSINESSES ON 30th OCTOBER

·Superfast speeds: EE delivers superfast speeds, five times faster than 3G, and typically ten times faster in homes and offices with fibre broadband

·Exciting new services: EE Film provides customers a one-stop shop for film, combining 2-for-1 cinema ticketing, listings, trailers and film downloads or streaming into one place. EE Film also offers 'pause & play' functionality between mobile and PC with the largest catalogue of new releases compared to similar providers. The new Clone Phone insurance service replaces your device and digital content in under 24 hours

·Simple pricing for the digital age: Unlimited calls and texts as standard on your mobile; customers simply select their data allowance, starting from just £36 per month for consumers and £35 (excl VAT) for businesses, with built-in cost control tools

·Expert Support: Fast track service for all customers, plus access to approximately 10,000 experts on the high street, on the phone and online

23rd October 2012. London. EE, the UK's most advanced digital communications company, today unveiled the pricing and plans for its new superfast Fibre Broadband and 4G services, designed for 21st century consumers and businesses alike.

The UK's first 4G mobile service will launch on Tuesday October 30th, offering consumers and businesses a new way to access the people, places and things they want on the move, with speeds typically five times faster than 3G.[1]

EE will also launch its new fixed-line fibre service for the home and offices, with speeds typically ten times faster than today's standard broadband plans.[2]

The delivery of increased speeds and connectivity has inspired the development of EE's first next-generation digital services, such as EE Film and EE's new device and digital content replacement services.

Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, said: "We're proud to be leading the way and pioneering the roll out of 4G in the UK. With our new brand and unique 4G and fibre services, we will deliver consumers and businesses across the country next-generation services and a superior level of support.

"Our new plans have been developed to offer our customers everything they have been asking for – superfast performance, choice and value – as well as a fresh approach to pricing and customer service that offers accessibility, flexibility and guidance every step of the way."

The launch of the EE brand will be backed by a multi-million pound marketing campaign across TV, print and digital media channels.

Superfast speeds

EE will be the first company in the UK to launch a mobile 4G service, along with its new fixed-line fibre broadband service. It will be called 4GEE and will offer speeds five times faster than 3G, and speeds typically ten times faster than currently available in homes and offices.

EE will be available to buy nationwide, with the 4GEE service going live initially across ten cities on 30th October[3]. The company has an aggressive 4G rollout plan in place with six further cities coming online in the run up to Christmas, with further cities and rural locations planned for 2013, and 98% of the population due to be covered by the end of 2014.

Once achieved, this will be the fastest rollout of any UK network in history.

EE's Fibre Broadband service, available to both consumers and businesses, will be available in 11 million premises nationally with plans starting at just £15 per month.

Smart new services

The launch of superfast mobile and fixed speeds by EE will inspire the birth of revolutionary and exciting new services for business and consumers.

The first such service is EE Film, the only service in the UK which combines 2-for-1 cinema ticketing, listings, trailers and film downloads or streaming in one place. The Film Store presents the largest catalogue of new releases available in the UK, with more than five times the number of new releases than other similar providers, and more than 700 films available in total.

EE customers will be able to watch a film of their choice on their mobile, on their PC or even on their TV (via their laptop). Pause & Play also allows customers to view the film on one device, such as their smartphone, pause it, then pick it up on another device, such as their laptop.

4GEE customers will able to download or stream a film, each week, on EE, without impacting their data allowance. Further films can be downloaded or streamed with prices starting at 79p, and the cost can be charged to customers' mobile bill, or credit and debit cards.

Simple pricing for the digital consumer

4GEE phone plans will offer customers a wide selection of simple smartphone and mobile broadband plans, putting the customer in control by combining a range of data options with unlimited UK calls and texts. Data allowances start with the light data usage entry plan, offering 500MB (£36/pm) and extending up to 8GB (£56/pm) for the heavier data user.

Data controls will alert customers when they are approaching the data allowance limit, and then when their limit is reached. They can then choose to buy a data add-on, or wait until the next bill period starts.

All customers will be able to tether or use VoIP services as part of their plan – with no need to buy specific data add-ons. BT Wi-fi is also included in all plans at no extra cost, providing on-demand access to millions of wireless hotspots across the UK.

For just £5 more a month, customers will be able to take their unlimited voice and text allowance abroad with them, in Europe and selected countries in the rest of the world[4], as well as access to special data add-ons offering significant value on data use while abroad.

New Fibre Broadband and 4GEE plans for Business

Small business customers will have a range of 4GEE phone plans, with data allowances of 1GB including unlimited UK calls and texts starting from £35/pm (excl. VAT). Companies can also reduce costs by choosing the new 4GEE Sharer Plan, which allows sharing of data allowances across all users and devices within their business, plus inclusive calls to colleagues and landlines.

EE also provides medium sized, public sector and corporate customers with a range of dedicated 4GEE plans from an additional £3 a month on top of their existing or new package, as well as added services including security and mobile application development. Data share plans are also available for these companies, with the added benefit of increased spend control through reduced out-of-bundle rates for data, and spending caps ranging from £50-£200.

Olaf Swantee commented: "UK Businesses have shown considerable interest since our 4G launch intentions were announced. We hope that our new 4G plans and services will make us the most exciting digital communications business partner to work with in the UK."

EE Consumer Fibre Broadband plans

EE's Fibre Broadband will offer speeds typically up to ten times faster than the UK average. Ideal for households or small businesses with multiple devices, EE Fibre broadband offers maximum download speeds of 76Mbps – allowing customers to stream HDTV, play online games, watch films on demand or quickly upload or download large files. Plans start from £15 per month[5], with off-peak calls and a free BrightBox router included as standard.

4GEE customers save £5 per month when taking EE's Fibre Broadband product for the entire length of their phone plan – offering savings of up to £120[6]. Orange and T-Mobile customers can also benefit, allowing them to enjoy EE Fibre Broadband in the home or office at reduced rates.

Expert service

EE customers can expect a superior level of service on the high street, on the phone and online, with a significant new service approach and services designed to give customers peace of mind.

10,000 EE experts have been trained to serve and sell to customers in a new way, designed around specific handset types.

If an EE customer wants to speak to an expert at one our customer centres, they can fast-track the automated call system by first connecting, then dialling 33, to get connected directly to an expert.

EE also operates customer services on social networks Twitter and Facebook.

A number of new services, fit for the digital world, have also been developed to provide peace of mind for new EE customers.

Clone Phone: Clone Phone from EE securely backs up data such as contacts, calendar and content (customers' own photos and videos) via an App, which provides an easy way to restore your content if a phone is lost, stolen or broken. It means you don't just get your handset back, but you get your digital life back too.[7]

Repair & Loan Phone: Repair and Loan Phone provide a convenient way to arrange a repair in store[8] and stay in touch in the meantime. All customers will be provided with a replacement phone, and phones will be repaired and returned within 14 days. Small business customers benefit from next day replacement for any faulty phone.[9]

Transforming the high-street

From the 30th October, all existing Everything Everywhere, Orange and T-Mobile stores will become newly branded EE stores.

4G Ready

EE will be offering a simple process for Orange and T-Mobile customers who've already purchased a 4G ready handset, to swap to 4G, at no additional cost.[10]

For more information on 4G and Fibre plans or the EE brand, please visit www.ee.co.uk.

Notes

[1] Based on 1.5Mbps UK average speed for 3G (Ofcom speed survey), and 8-12Mbps average speed for 4G (source: EE Data)

[2] Based on 58.5Mbps average speed for EE Fibre compared to the average speed of 5.9Mbps on ADSL Broadband (source: Aug Ofcom survey)

[3] London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow (and parts of Southampton) on 30th October; expanding further within those cities, as well as a further five cities by Christmas – Belfast, Derby, Hull, Nottingham, Newcastle.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

“We are delighted to announce that the official launch of our new customer brand, EE, offering the UK’s first superfast mobile 4G and fibre broadband service, will take place on the 30th October 2012.

“This is a significant milestone for the United Kingdom, and for the people and businesses of our country who will now be able to enjoy the huge advantages of superfast 4G technology for the first time.

“We are very proud to be pioneering, innovating and leading our industry in launching 4G for our nation through our new EE brand.”

3rd October 2012. London.
EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company,
today announced its latest 4G ready smartphones are now available from
Orange and T-Mobile stores, online and through telesales for both
consumers and business customers to purchase.

From today, the 4G ready
Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE,HTC One XL and Huawei Ascend P1 LTE
will be available to buy on Orange and T-Mobile 3G price plans. They
join the iPhone 5 which was launched recently. Once the superfast EE
brand launches in the coming weeks, Orange
and T-Mobile customers with 4G ready handsets can then choose to move
across to the new 4G EE customer brand or remain on the existing 3G
network.

EE also confirms the addition of the
Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE to its 4G ready smartphone range. The
Galaxy Note II LTE comes with an advanced S-Pen, which, together with
features such as Air View, S Note and S Planner, makes everyday tasks
such as annotating documents and sending emails
easy and intuitive. Featuring a 5.55”(141mm) HD
Super AMOLED display,
content
can be seen clearly and vividly – plus, it’s thin and light, making it
easy to read and view content whilst on the way to work or at a business
meeting. The
Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE will be available from 15th October.

Pippa Dunn, Chief Marketing Officer, EE said:
“We’re delighted to now be offering our
customers a range of 4G ready smartphones to choose from. Not only can
they use their phones straight away on the UK’s biggest 3G network, but
they can also have the opportunity to be amongst the first to benefit
from superfast 4G mobile speeds when we launch
our EE brand on October 30th”.

For Orange and T-Mobile customers with 4G ready handsets who want to upgrade to a new superfast
EE 4G planwhen they launch in the coming weeks – or at any point in their
existing contract – the process will be made as simple as possible.
Customers will then receive a 4G EE SIM so they can access the service.

Motorola RAZR i - Google Chrome Announcement

On Tuesday 18th September 2012, Motorola Mobility in partnership with Intel Corporation introduced the powerful Motorola RAZR™ i with Intel Inside®, a new full-screen smartphone that fits in the palm of your hand.

Following on from this launch, we are now pleased to announce the availability of Chrome for Android on Intel x86 devices, available for download on Google Play and from the Google Play Store on your Motorola RAZR i. This smartphone puts the Google universe in your hand and now you’ll now be able to experience the speed, security, and simplicity of Chrome.

As a result of the enormous hype around the little device with a big apple on, the top 10 list for August almost predict the future, says Ulf Sandberg MD at Krusell. Krusell´s accessories are already ordered and we see no decline in the interest onwards. My forcast is that we will see a huge gap between the iPhone5 and the rest of the list in orders the coming month ahead, he ends.

The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell, releases its Top 10-list for August 2012. The list is based on the number of pieces of custom made mobile- and smartphone cases ordered from Krusell during August 2012.Krusell’s list is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on six continents and in more than 70 countries around the globe.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

"Edge to edge"? That's how Motorola describe the upcoming RAZR M. But it isn't Intel powered.. or is it? Well, judging by the not terribly secret launch event next week and this teaser trailer, it looks like the European version will be a little different..

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Amazon Takes on the High-End—Introducing the New Kindle Fire HD Family

$199 now gets you the world’s most-advanced 7” tablet, with a stunning custom HD display, the fastest Wi-Fi, exclusive Dolby audio, powerful processor and graphics engine, and 16 GB of storage—all backed by the world’s best content ecosystem, the best cross-platform interoperability, and the best customer service

$299 now gets you all the same advanced technology on a stunning 8.9” large-screen 1920x1200 HD display with 254 ppi and a powerful OMAP4 4470 processor and graphics engine

$499 now gets you the same high-end large-screen HD tablet, 32 GB of storage, plus ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless powered by the latest generation 4G chipset, and Amazon’s groundbreaking $49.99 one year 4G LTE data package—customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets

New inventions exclusively on the new family of Kindle Fire devices—X-Ray for Movies, X-Ray for Textbooks, Immersion Reading, Whispersync for Voice, Whispersync for Games, and Kindle FreeTime

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 6, 2012-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Less than one year ago, Amazon introduced Kindle Fire—combining 15 years of innovation into a fully-integrated, end-to-end service for customers. Kindle Fire quickly became the most successful product launch in the history of Amazon.com, earning over 10,000 5-star customer reviews, remaining the #1 best-selling product across the millions of items available on Amazon since its introduction, and capturing 22% of U.S. tablet sales in just nine months. Today, Amazon is excited to announce that it’s taking on the high-end with Kindle Fire HD—the next generation of Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire HD (Photo: Business Wire)

The Kindle Fire HD family—the most-advanced tablets:

Ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless, powered by the latest generation 4G chipset, support for all 10 4G bands, and Amazon’s breakthrough 4G LTE data package—customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets.

Best cross-platform interoperability, with Amazon apps available on the largest number of devices and platforms so customers can access content anytime, anywhere.

Amazon’s top-rated, world-class customer service.

Amazon is also introducing an all-new upgraded version of the best-selling standard definition Kindle Fire with a faster processor, twice the memory and longer battery life—all for an even lower breakthrough price—only $159. Meet the all-new Kindle Fire family at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd.
“We’re taking on the most popular price point for a tablet, $499, but doubling the storage and incredibly, adding ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Kindle Fire HD is not only the most-advanced hardware, it’s also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree that Kindle Fire HD is the best high-end tablet anywhere, at any price.” The Best HardwareStunning Custom HD Display
The 8.9” display on Kindle Fire HD features an incredible 254 pixels per inch with a resolution of 1920x1200, with pixels that are indistinguishable to the human eye. The 7” Kindle Fire HD features a stunning HD display with 1280x800 resolution that delivers deep, detailed contrast and rich, natural color. Kindle Fire HD also uses Gorilla Glass to provide superior strength and reliability. Kindle Fire HD starts with excellent resolution, but that is only the beginning—Amazon also added custom features that reduce glare and improve color saturation at any viewing angle.
Most tablet displays are made up of two pieces of glass—an LCD on the bottom and a touch sensor on the top, separated by an air gap. This air gap allows light to come through the touch sensor and reflect off the LCD, which causes added glare for the user. Fire HD solves this air gap problem by laminating the touch sensor and the LCD together into a single layer of glass, creating a display that is easy to view even in overhead light, and reducing glare by 25% relative to the latest generation iPad.
Like many tablets, Kindle Fire HD uses in-plane switching (IPS) to improve color reproduction. But displays that only use IPS still appear washed out at various angles, such as laid sideways in bed, flat on a table, or propped up in a case. Fire HD features an Advanced True Wide polarizing filter that is applied directly to the LCD panel. This results in a display that shows the same deep contrast and rich, detailed color from any angle. High-End Laptop-Quality Wi-Fi—40% Faster Downloads and High-Speed Streaming
HD content has much larger file sizes than standard definition content—for example, Marvel’s The Avengers in standard definition is 785 MB, but in HD, TheAvengers is 2.97 GB. Files of this size require the very latest in Wi-Fi technology to download or stream the HD content quickly and reliably—anything else results in buffering, slow downloads and dropped connections. Many Wi-Fi enabled devices only use the 2.4 GHz wireless frequency. This frequency is crowded since it is used by everything from other tablets to microwave ovens, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices, not to mention the neighbors’ Wi-Fi networks. Kindle Fire HD circumvents this congestion with state-of-the-art dual-band Wi-Fi. Kindle Fire HD can automatically switch between the 2.4 GHz network and the newer, less crowded 5 GHz network, resulting in better range and less interference. In addition, dual antennas and Multiple In/Multiple Out (MIMO) allow for higher bandwidth and longer range. The new Kindle Fire HD is the first tablet to market with all three of these latest generation Wi-Fi technologies—dual-band support, dual antennas, and MIMO. This is the first time this state-of-the-art Wi-Fi technology has been offered in a tablet, resulting in 40% faster throughput compared to the latest generation iPad. Latest Generation 4G LTE Wireless
The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with ultra-fast 4G LTE, with download speeds as fast as Wi-Fi. To keep the 4G Kindle Fire HD just 8.8 mm thin, Amazon custom-designed its 4G wireless modem to be just 2.2 mm. Some 4G devices don’t support all of the non-4G bands—Kindle Fire HD includes support for 10-bands, so even if a customer doesn’t have perfect 4G coverage, the Kindle will fall back to the fastest available 3G speeds. Amazon’s Breakthrough 4G LTE Data Package
The 4G Kindle Fire HD comes with the most affordable 4G tablet data package. Customers will have access to a 12-month data plan with 250MB per month, 20GB of Amazon Cloud storage, and a $10 credit in the Amazon Appstore for a one-time cost of $49.99. In fact, when you combine the cost of the device and the data plan, customers who purchase the Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE will pay over $400 less than latest generation iPad owners in the first year of ownership. Customers can also choose to upgrade to 3 GB or 5 GB data plans from AT&T directly from the device. 8 GB of Storage is Not Enough for an HD Tablet
Customers want to enjoy HD content if they have an HD tablet—and 8 GB of on-device storage isn’t enough for the larger HD file sizes. The 7” Kindle Fire HD is available with 16 GB or 32 GB of on-device storage, and the large screen Kindle Fire is available with 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of on-device storage. This large on-device storage capacity is in addition to the free storage Amazon provides for Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Amazon digital content is automatically backed up for free in the Amazon Cloud’s Worry-Free Archive where it’s available anytime. Powerful World-Class Processor—Snappy and Smooth
An HD display and HD content must be driven by a powerful processor and optimized software. The Kindle Fire HD family features world-class processors and the new Imagination Technologies graphics engine for lightning-fast HD graphics and excellent fluidity. The 8.9” Kindle Fire HD is powered by the latest generation OMAP4 4470 processor and Imagination SGX544 graphics engine capable of over 12 billion floating point operations per second—50 percent more than Tegra 3, and both Kindle Fire HD 7” and 8.9” come with higher memory bandwidth than Tegra 3. Combining the latest generation processors with significant customization of the Kindle Fire software by Amazon engineers results in a snappy and smooth experience for the user. Dual Stereo Speakers and Exclusive Dolby Audio—The New Standard for Tablet Audio
Customers shouldn’t need to wear headphones while watching a movie on a tablet to get excellent sound. Kindle Fire HD solves this by combining dual stereo speakers with the next generation Dolby Digital Plus audio platform—the standard in high performance audio—to offer a world-class audio experience. Dolby’s audio suite for Kindle Fire HD includes technology used to adjust volume and deliver easier-to-understand dialogue in movies and TV shows. Kindle Fire HD automatically optimizes the audio profile based on what a customer is doing, such as watching a movie, listening to music, using third party apps like Pandora and Netflix, and also optimizes for headphones versus speakers. All of these pieces combine to create an exceptional audio experience that results in clearer, crisper and balanced sound quality. 11 Hours of Battery Life
The 7” Kindle Fire HD is optimized to deliver high performance without sacrificing battery life, delivering over 11 hours of battery life. Thin and Light
Even with a custom display, a powerful processor, extra speakers and dual-band/dual-antenna Wi-Fi, the new Kindle Fire HD is extremely light and thin. In fact, Kindle Fire HD 8.9” weighs only 20 ounces and is just 8.8 mm thin. Kindle Fire HD 7” is small enough to take everywhere and light enough to hold easily and comfortably in one hand. Connect with Bluetooth and HDMI
Kindle Fire HD supports Bluetooth, enabling customers to connect their wireless Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth speakers to listen to songs, videos or audiobooks. With Bluetooth connectivity, customers can also easily connect to a wide range of Bluetooth-enabled keyboards. HDMI out makes it easy for customers to connect the Kindle Fire HD to their big-screen TV to enjoy their favorite HD videos and photos. Stay in Touch with Front-Facing HD Camera
The new Kindle Fire HD features a front-facing HD camera. Skype created a customized app tailored for Kindle Fire HD that is ready to use out of the box for free HD video calls at home and abroad. Kindle Fire HD makes it easy for the over 500 million customers already using Skype to get in touch with friends and family. Beautiful Leather Covers
Covers for Kindle Fire HD feature a premium textured leather exterior in a variety of colors and a subtle woven nylon interior to provide the lightest and thinnest form of protection. The integrated magnetic clasp ensures the cover remains securely closed while in a backpack, purse, or briefcase. The cover automatically wakes Kindle Fire HD upon opening and puts it to sleep when closed, making it easy to dive right back into whatever content a customer is enjoying. All-New Features Only Amazon Can OfferX-Ray for Books
One year ago, Amazon introduced X-Ray on Kindle Touch, and customers loved it. Amazon is extending X-Ray to books on Kindle Fire, making it easier than ever for customers to learn more about the content they love by exploring the “bones of the book.” With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers. X-Ray for Movies
“X-Ray for Movies” is a new feature that revolutionizes the movie experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to movies on Kindle Fire HD, accessible with a simple tap. Without ever leaving the movie, customers can look up any actor in the scene or movie, see what other movies they have been in, and view photos, biographies and more. X-Ray is offered only by Amazon and is exclusive to the Amazon ecosystem. IMDb, an Amazon company for 14 years, is the #1 movie website in the world with more than 160 million monthly unique visitors worldwide. X-Ray for Textbooks
Glossaries in print textbooks contain the most important information for students, but they’re placed inconveniently in the back of the book. And glossaries don't always contain enough information for students working to understand new concepts. X-Ray for Textbooks solves these problems by integrating the glossary directly into each textbook page and by algorithmically assembling related data from Wikipedia and YouTube. Immersion Reading
Research supports that readers can benefit from listening while reading. Together, Amazon and Audible invented “Immersion Reading,” allowing customers to fuse together printed text and professionally-narrated audiobooks, giving readers the ability to experience their reading with two senses—sight and sound. As the reader views the text of their book on Kindle Fire, text is highlighted as it is professionally-narrated, creating a more immersive experience, as well as deeper learning and comprehension. Whispersync for Voice
Whispersync for Voice allows customers to synchronize their Kindle books with professionally-narrated audiobooks—customers can start reading a book on Kindle Fire and seamlessly switch to listening to the companion audiobook, picking up exactly where they left off. With Whispersync for Voice, customers can continue enjoying books during commutes or any other time their eyes are busy. When they get in the car, customers can effortlessly pick up the story right where they left off reading by listening to the professionally-narrated audiobook using Bluetooth on Kindle Fire HD or with any Audible app on their smartphone. Ideal for Gaming
Amazon has worked with leading developers to offer new Android games exclusively on Kindle Fire HD, including Activision’s popular Skylanders Cloud Patrol franchise and Crytek’s Fibble. In Skylanders Cloud Patrol, gamers will discover a new feature—the ability to purchase physical toys from within a game. Customers will be able to purchase a unique Skylanders character with a single click, and Amazon.com will deliver it to their doorstep. In addition to hardware that’s perfect for gaming like stunning custom HD displays, fast Wi-Fi and large on-device storage, the Kindle Fire HD family also offers HD Games, gyroscope and accelerometer for full tilt and turn controls, as well as social gaming features including group leaderboards and achievements. Whispersync for Games
One of the biggest frustrations of mobile gaming is that when customers switch devices or delete and re-install the game on the same device, they have to start a level over or go back to the beginning of the game. To solve this problem, Amazon extended its Whispersync technology to gaming with Whispersync for Games. Whispersync for Games syncs a customer’s place in the game and saves unlocked levels, so even if they get a new device, the progress is backed up in the cloud. Kindle FreeTime
Amazon today reinvented parental controls with Kindle FreeTime. FreeTime gives parents easy-to-use tools to personalize their children’s digital media experience. With FreeTime, parents never have to worry what content their kids will access—parents select all of the content their kids can see and kids can’t exit FreeTime without a password. FreeTime also lets parents limit their kids’ screen time by content type—they may choose to limit videos and games, for example, but make reading time unlimited. Kindle FreeTime will be available for free on all of the new Kindle Fire devices starting in the coming weeks. Cloud-Accelerated Silk Browser
The new Kindle Fire family uses a new version of Amazon Silk with the unique “split browser” architecture that leverages the computing speed and power of Amazon Web Services to deliver content faster. The new Amazon Silk browser features an updated core rendering engine and a reengineered transport layer that contribute to faster page loads. Customers can experience full-screen browsing, reading view, and improved browsing with most-visited, trending and recommended sites all available from a single screen. All-New Email and Calendar
The new Kindle Fire family features world-class Microsoft Exchange integration, with fine-tuned performance on many of the most critical e-mail functions. For example, typical Exchange accounts sync with the oldest emails first, ending with the most recent emails—Kindle Fire instead syncs with newer emails first, then with older emails, getting customers faster access to the most recent emails they are looking for. Kindle Fire also features a new calendar app, making it easy for customers to stay connected and keep track of their schedules. The new e-mail client offers support for the world’s most popular email providers—including Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Hotmail and more. Photos Brought to Life
Photos come alive in stunning high-resolution on Kindle Fire HD. Fire’s mosaic view arranges personal photos beautifully, and customers will be delighted to see their best shots on their TV with HDMI out. Kindle Fire lets customers easily import their photos from Facebook and because their photos are securely stored in Amazon Cloud Drive, they never have to worry about losing their favorite pictures. New Latest Generation Kindle Fire—Only $159
Kindle Fire, the #1 best-selling product on Amazon for the past year, is now even better, with all the features customers love about the original Kindle Fire—all the content, seamless integration with the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, and a brilliant 7” touchscreen—now with a faster processor for 40% faster performance, twice the memory and longer battery life. The new Kindle Fire also offers all of the new features that are exclusive to the Kindle Fire family—including X-Ray for Movies, X-Ray for Books, Immersion Reading, Whispersync for Voice, Kindle FreeTime and more. Backed by the World’s Best Content Ecosystem, Cross-Platform Interoperability and Customer ServiceAll the Content—Over 22 Million Movies, TV Shows, Songs, Apps, Games, Books, Audiobooks and Magazines
Kindle Fire offers customers the largest selection of digital content, including thousands of exclusives:

Over 120,000 movies and TV episodes, including the most popular titles and the biggest new releases. Customers can stream or download, purchase or rent. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 25,000 popular movies and TV episodes at no additional cost with Prime Instant Video. Customers who are new to Prime get one free month of Amazon Prime when they purchase Kindle Fire.

Instant access to the most popular apps and games, including Where's My Perry?, Pinterest, NBA JAM, HBO GO, Hulu Plus and Asphalt 7—each one optimized for Kindle Fire HD.

Millions of songs from over 3 million artists. Customers can stream purchases from the cloud, download playlists for offline listening, and store their personal collection in the cloud for access anytime, anywhere.

Millions of books, including over 180,000 titles that are exclusive to the Kindle Store. Over 650,000 books are priced at $4.99 or less; over 1.2 million are $9.99 or less. Amazon Prime members can choose from over 180,000 titles, including all 7 Harry Potter books and over 100 current and former New York Times best sellers, to borrow for free as part of Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, as frequently as a book a month with no waiting and no due dates.

Hundreds of magazines and newspapers—including Vogue, Esquire, National Geographic and Better Homes and Gardens—with glossy full-color layouts, HD photography, and beautifully detailed illustrations. Customers can try more than 50 free single issues available in the Kindle Newsstand, including Cosmopolitan, Maxim, O, TheOprah Magazine, ESPN The Magazine, Elle and Martha Stewart Living.

Over 100,000 professionally-narrated audiobook titles available, with free samples to listen to before buying.

Best Cross-Platform Interoperability with “Buy Once, Enjoy Everywhere”
With apps available on the largest number of devices and platforms, Kindle makes it easier than ever to access content anytime, anywhere. Customers can read and sync their Kindle books across iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, Windows Phones and in their web browsers with Kindle Cloud Reader. Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video are available to watch on iPad, PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation 3, Blue-Ray, Roku and hundreds of compatible TVs, and because of Amazon’s Whispersync technology, customers never have to worry about losing their place in a movie or TV show. Amazon MP3s are available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Sonos and web browsers with Cloud Player. Apps from the Amazon Appstore for Android are available on all Android phones and tablets. No other company offers customers this level of flexibility with their content. Free Month of Amazon Prime
Amazon continues to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to bring Prime members new movies, TV shows and books to enjoy at no additional cost. Amazon customers enjoy unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of over 25,000 movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video; over 180,000 books from Kindle Owners’ Lending Library to borrow for free, as frequently as a book a month, with no waiting and no due dates; and receive the convenience of Free Two-Day Shipping on over 15 million items from Amazon.com. Even with all this investment and continually growing selection, Prime remains at the same low price it launched with seven years ago—just $79. Customers who are new to Prime get one free month of Amazon Prime when they purchase Kindle Fire. Arrives Pre-Registered
Kindle Fire comes automatically pre-registered so customers can immediately start enjoying their digital content purchased from Amazon or shop for new content. Top-Rated, World-Class Customer Service
When a customer shops on Amazon.com, buys a Kindle Fire, or buys Kindle content, they know that with that they are also getting Amazon’s world-class customer service. Amazon scored 86—the top score—on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and 89 on the ForeSee customer satisfaction survey—the highest ever attained by a retailer. Amazon has been rated #1 in the National Retail Federation Customers' Choice Awards, has been awarded the top spot in the MSN Money Customer Service Hall of Fame three years in a row, and is a JD Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion. Customers have been shopping on Amazon for over 15 years, and they continue to do so because of the unparalleled end-to-end customer experience. Special Offers
The new Kindle Fire family comes with special offers that appear on the lock screen. Examples of special money-saving offers that customers will enjoy include a $5 credit in the Amazon MP3 Store and a $5 credit for select titles in the Amazon Instant Video Store. Customers will also receive special offers and screensavers from brands like AT&T, Discover and Intel, such as a special offer of a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card when a customer uses their Discover card to purchase a digital product on Amazon. Best Tablets at Any Price
The all-new Kindle Fire HD 7”—with a stunning HD display, the fastest Wi-Fi, exclusive HD audio with two stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus, 16 or 32 GB of storage and a powerful world-class processor—all backed by the world’s best content ecosystem, best cross-platform interoperability and best customer service is $199. Kindle Fire HD 7” is available for preorder starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd7 and will begin shipping on September 14.
Kindle Fire HD 8.9”, with all of these features plus an ultra-high definition 8.9” screen, and 16 or 32 GB of storage, starts at $299 and is available for preorder starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd, and will begin shipping on November 20.
Kindle Fire HD 8.9” 4G, with the most affordable 4G data plan in the world, and 32 or 64 GB of storage, starts at $499 and is available for preorder starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd4G, and will begin shipping on November 20.
The new latest generation Kindle Fire with a faster processor for 40% faster performance, twice the memory and all the new features is only $159, and pre-order to reserve their page in line at www.amazon.com/kindlefire and will begin shipping on September 14.
For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle Fire family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.

Monday, September 3, 2012

The Android platform is becoming more and more popular globally. Around 68 per cent of all mobile devices are now managed by the Android OS.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) over 100 million Android smartphones were sold worldwide during the first quarter of 2012, 145 per cent more than during the first quarter of 2011. In the second quarter of 2012 the increase was 106 per cent compared with the same quarter in 2011.

This is good news for Android platform but, as is often the case with good news, there are also some negative aspects for the Android ecosystem.

“Piracy of my apps is through the roof”, said David Peroutka, director at Android game developer Hexage.

“The good news was that more than 100,000 people were enjoying the new Android version of our game. The bad news was that only about 10 per cent of them paid for it”, added Miles Jacobson, CEO of Sports Interactive.

MadFinger Games company went further: “Even for one buck,” MadFinger explained, “the piracy rate is so large that we finally decided to provide DEAD TRIGGER for free.”

While there is no comprehensive Android piracy study, every developer estimates its rate. For example, compare the number of apps sold with the number of downloaded updates. If the application was purchased by 100 users but the update was downloaded 1,000 times we have a 9:1 piracy rate. Or compare sales figures with the number of users who voted for the application on leader boards – more voters than purchasers clearly shows there is a piracy problem!

Obviously in some cases piracy is a benefit to the developer. More people downloading the program means more publicity for the developer.

Mikael Hed, CEO of Finnish company Rovio which is behind the ‘Angry Birds’ brand, believes that piracy is not so bad as it seems to be. "We could learn a lot from the music industry, and the rather terrible ways the music industry has tried to combat piracy."

He added that it’s important to learn from the music industry. It is useless to pursue pirates through the courts, except in cases where it feels the products they are selling are harmful to the Angry Birds brand or are ripping off its fans.

But some other developers do not agree with Hed. Their main objection is that Rovio has the ‘Angry Birds’ brand which is the most successful mobile game ever. What should other developers do if they do not have a massive brand? How can they earn money and support business development and future investment?

Here the problem of struggling against piracy is one among many others. Today entrepreneurial developers are competing for market share but they are aiming to become big companies with large predicted sales. That is a pretty tough task without protection against piracy which robs developers of revenue.

Many developers use in-app advertisements to generate revenue. But if you play, say, ‘Angry Birds’ you know how annoying it is when a part of the screen is occupied by an advertisement. Finally, to avoid this annoyance, users purchase the app – or, in most cases, download a cracked version.

Developers often cite Google as the source of at least part of the problem. The IT giant permits Android users to install applications from unauthorised sources besides the official Google Play applications market.

IOS developer Matt Gemmell believes that “Android is made for piracy”. The freedom that is granted for users to install applications from different sources, low prices and many ‘free’ apps attract a lot of fans but ultimately it could harm the whole Android ecosystem.

Apple devices need comprehensive ‘jailbreak’ operations (eg, software cracking of a device) to install applications from non-App Store sources. Android users can avoid such ‘geek’ tricks. It’s enough to simply switch on certain options under the security tab and you are good to go. So, cracked applications may be installed on a device. Google does little to block this option because a successful mobile OS depends upon having a large number of available applications. Android smartphones are cheaper and there are a lot of free and pirated applications. All of this helps to increase the installed Android base.

However, this can also add to the problems for Android developers because the more applications there are, the greater the risk of reduced security and more piracy. The quality of programs is also likely to fall.

Reliable anti-piracy solutions are absent. Google’s License Verification Library (LVL) is hardly a serious obstacle even for a newbie hacker. That’s why unofficial markets are full of cracked games and programs.

Obviously, if someone offers a reliable solution developers may breathe more easily. Such a solution will create a time gap between the application release and the appearance of a cracked version. If the gap is long enough, developers will be able to earn revenue to compensate them for their development costs and even get income.

This solution will need to differ from existing digital rights management solutions for PCs because mobile platforms have different technology, different behaviour and a different ‘spirit’. The one thing that should be the same as is offered to developers of PC applications is excellent protection performance.